- Nasseriya Street, Riyadh 11161
- Tel: 1 401 4440 / 1 401 3440 Fax: 1 402 3570
- Jeddah Tel: 2 644 5222
The Ministry of Information was established in 1962. In 2003, responsibility for culture was added to the Ministry's portfolio.
The new Ministry was given an agency for culture, and took responsibility for the activities of the following bodies, which had previously been affiliates of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare:
- The King Fahd Cultural Centre
- The Administration of Folklore
- The Saudi Society for Culture and Arts
- The General Administration of Cultural Activities
- The Literary Clubs, and the General Administration for Literary Clubs.
The new Ministry of Culture and Information was also charged with overseeing the activities of:
-The General Administration for Public Libraries
-The General Administration for Cultural Relations
which had previously been affiliates of the Agency of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Education;
and Al-Mujallah Al-Arabia, which had previously been an affiliate of the Ministry of Higher Education.
The Ministry of Culture and Information is responsible for the Kingdom's television broadcasting, radio broadcasting, the press and publication of printed material. It is also responsible for the Kingdom's relations with the foreign press.
Within the Kingdom, the Ministry provides a focal point for all information about Saudi Arabia. Through its country-wide network of Information Centers it offers to Saudi Arabian citizens a ready source of data on the history and culture of the Kingdom.
Overseas, the Saudi Arabian Information Center in London (Cavendish House, 18 Cavendish Square, London W1), fully-equipped with a library, lecture room and viewing theater, offers a similar facility to the public there. There is also a Saudi Arabian Information Center in Tunis.
The Saudi Press Agency which forms part of the Ministry of Culture and Information has offices in Bonne, Cairo, London, Tunis and Washington, DC. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) is the central department for the collection and dissemination of official news of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It distributes news reports to newspapers, news agencies, radio and television.
Established in 1970, the SPA, can now, with the help of development of modern communications, transmit its news reports 24 hours a day, in Arabic, English and French. In addition to the daily news, it transmits features, commentaries and analyses as part of its wide-ranging information services.
